Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1887-12-24
The Marriage Of Flowers.
New York Times.

New York Times.
The flowers that bloom in the fall
are now to be found in the fall exhi-
bition of the New York Horticultur-
al Society. Three long tables were
covered with cut chrysanthemums of
rare and radiant design and color.
To appreciate properly the exhibit
ton, however, the services of John
Thorpe will be necessary. John
Thorpe is somewhat tall and very
valuable chrysanthemum whose
trunk is of brown diagonal, with a
calyx of brown beard under his chin
and a corolla of shrewd and rugged
features which light up with interest
when he discusses his favorite pur-
suit. He is the secretary of the So
ciety, and lives at New Rochelle.
When John Thorpe sits down in the
shadow of a date palm, with two
chrysanthemums about to be mar
ried in his hands, he becomes singu-
larly interesting. OF the two chrys-
anthemums, the bride is arrayed in
spotless white, and the bridegroom
in a brilliant vestment of red.
"The marriage of two flowers"
says Mr.. Thorpe, in semi-poetic but
entirely practical way, is exactly
like any other marriage. Most Of
the flowers on exhibition here are
composite varieties, but in the SIM
pie varieties the male and female
flowers are easily and instantly dis
tinguished by practical eye. The
development of chrysanthemums is
nothing more nor less than the breed
ing of them, and exactly like the
breeding of fine varieties of stock.
Five years ago we had nothing but
simple flowers. Now you see the
wonderful variety of shapes and COL
ors which has resulted. This has
come from hybridization, and that is
done in this way"
Cutting off the long petals of one of
the flowers, he showed at the base of
each the pollen which had ripened
and was ready to be scattered by the
air in the shape of an impalpable
powder. Cutting away the petals of
the other, he brought to view a null
titude of fine ens,slightly sticky.
Whenever the pollen powder touches
any of these sticky points, a floral
union takes place, and the flower
grown from the resultant seed par
takes of the characteristics of the two
which went to form it.
sin growing the flowers" Mr..
Thorpe continued, "we take fine
camel's hair brush, and with it trans
fer the pollen from one flower to the
other. This process, in nature, is
fulfilled by the air, by insects, and
in various ways. There are some
flowers which are fertilized only at
night by moths. There are others
which are welded only in the day
by the butterflies and the humming
birds. When you think of moths
and butterflies and humming birds
reading marriage services over the
flowers in garden, there is quite an
opportunity for poetry in flower cul.
ture. The arrangement is some.
times very wonderful" he said, tax.
ing aquaint and grotesque orchid in
greens and browns. "This flower is
Safeguarding, and the fertilization
is carried on by the ants. The ant
can get into this flower only by go.
ing oyer the pollen cells, and the pol
len clings to him. He can get out
only by passing over those place:
which the pollen needs to touch, and
for the new flowers the ant alone i:
to be thanked. The same way o.
developing flowers can be applied tC
any variety. You could breed roses
for instance. The value of the chry
santhymums, however, is that you ge'
your new results in year, where
with roses, equally satisfactory results
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